Do or Die
by Margie Smitherson
Summary: Cassidy may be dating Zach, but how will she react when Tristan comes back- possibly to stay?
1. School Daze

**Hey guys! Here's my next story and I hope you like it! Thanks for reading! Stay Smart!****-Marcie**

Cassidy

Has anyone notice I'm always stuck smack dab in the middle of everything? Like right now I'm technically dating Zach Norton (again), which is fine, but the Berkeleys are flying over here to see Sophie during break. Tristan. As I think of this, I'm sitting at our lunch table, staring off into space.

"Cassidy?" calls Jess.

"Earth to Cassidy," Emma jokes.

"What?" I ask them, snapping back into reality. Jess looks at Emma.

"I told you she wasn't paying attention," she says. I shrug.

"So what were you trying to tell me about?" I ask Emma.

"We're having a sleepover at my house," she replies.

"Cool, what time?"

"Um, six," She says. I rack my mind.

"Oh no! I'm supposed to watch Chloe from four until six!" I exclaim.

"Bring her with you," Jess suggests. Suddenly, the lunch bell rings and I jump up. Zach puts his arm around my shoulders and I stiffen.

"Cassidy?" He asks, frowning.

"Sorry, gotta go," I grab my history book, leaving a puzzled Zach behind me. I race into Mrs. Glonkin's class early, surprising her, since I'm always late.

"I see that you are putting more effort into your classes and punctuality," she says approvingly. Uh, no. But of course I don't say that to Mrs. Glonkin.

"Yes, ma'am," I say, taking my seat near the front. I swear she put me there so everyone can see when I'm late. Maybe now that she thinks I'll arrive on time she'll move me. I nearly fall asleep during the class- I think we were talking about Catherine the Great? I sit through Math and English without falling asleep, and then we're all done! I take the bus home, so we have to report to homerooms by the bell. As I'm walking towards 183, Zach stops me.

"Cassidy, do you want to talk?" he asks.

"Zach, I'm going to be late for homeroom!"

"Really quick?" I sigh. "So what do you say if I…" The bell rings.

"Oh no!" I yell, hoping that I didn't yell that out loud. Of course, it was, and everyone stares at me. I leave Zach standing there again and trudge down to the office to get a slip for being late. One more and my Mother is going to have to come in to conference. After I get my pass from the grumpy office lady, I look around, and, seeing no one, and dart down the hallway. My homeroom teacher raises his eyebrows, but I flash the pass and he nods. I take my seat and my backpack rips open. All my stuff falls out.

"Bus 32 is here, bus 32 is here!" Great. Now I missed my bus. I grab all my stuff and trudge out of my room to walk home. I see Zach standing near the entrance, and I turn to take another. Suddenly, I see Jess and Emma. If I can catch them, Mrs. Hawthorne will give me a ride home. Gritting my teeth, I pass him.

"Hey Cassidy!"

"Later," I tell him. I dart outside. "Emma!" She pops her head out of the window.

"Yeah?"

"I missed my bus! Can I catch a ride?"

"Sure!" I climb in the back of the van.

"Hi Mrs. H," I say.

"Hi Cassidy," She calls back. I settle in and buckle. "Jess, I seem to be hearing reports of a short blonde from Colonial and an athletic looking guy meeting at the library," She says, raising her eyebrows. Mrs. Hawthorne is the librarian.

"Uh, where did you here that, Mrs. H.?" Jess asks.

"I heard it from Mrs. Dodds," Mrs. Hawthorne says," And I said to her 'does that girl often wear a braid?' and Mrs. Dodds said yes," Jess turns beet red. Mrs. Hawthorne looks back. Mrs. Dodds, by the way, is the assistant librarian.

"All I'm saying is that you might not want Colonial to catch wind of anything," She says. I stifle a grin. I look at Jess meaningfully and she blushes. I've caught them together there before and purposefully ruined the "moment"- aren't I a good friend?

We pull into Emma's driveway, where Emma suggests we walk to my house and bring back Chloe, even though it's only three thirty. I open the door and race upstairs.

"Cassidy?" my mom calls.

"I'm going to a sleepover at Emma's house," I yell back, grabbing my sleeping bag.

"What about Chloe?"

"She can come too!" I race back downstairs, where Emma is dutifully playing Princess Land with Chloe.

"What time should I pick her up?" My mom comes out of the kitchen covered in flour.

"When you get all that flour off." I respond, picking up Chloe. My friends and I walk outside and as we walk back to the Hawthorne's, Emma makes up a poem about every flower we see. (She loves spring.) We pass a tulip.

"Tulip, tulip in the ground. We are pleased that you are found." Emma says. Jess and I look at each other. I sigh.

"TULIP!" Chloe yells.

"Daffodil standing proud and high, grow up tall and reach the sky."

"DAFFODILL!"

My friends and I walk to Emma's house together, smiling. Even I guess I'll admit spring is cool, or as Emma says, "Magical." It's almost enough to make me forget about Zach and Tristan. Almost.


	2. To Tell the Truth is Daring

**Hey guys! I wasn't sure whether to update this or Poison Apples don't Grow on Trees, but this one had more reviews. Actually, I wasn't going to update at all, but I'm so flattered about how many people reviewed my three stories. Anyway…**

**Dess4ever****, thank you so much for the great reviews and oh my gosh you have a great point about the allergy! I never would have thought of that! Spoiler: it will turn out not to be because of an allergy, but that's genius of you- thank you so much!**

**Rebel Belle****, thank you too for all the comments, I'm so happy you enjoyed it! I read your story too and I loved it- it's really good. Your chapters are a really good size too, some of mine are way too short.**

**Cotton****Candy ****Dream****, thank you so much for noticing the chapter names. I worked forever on them (including during LA). I was trying to make them relate to quotes and sayings.**

**Tris and Cass****, I totally agree with you. And thanks, I try to update as much as I can.**

**Thank you too ****Midge****, ****LuvJessandDarcy****, and all guests.**

**To all you Trassidy and Jarcy/Dess fans, don't worry, I would never break them up.**

**Thank you so much, all of you! By the way, all of you that have Instagram, I just started a new account marciesmitherson . I post pics from the stories, like I have a pic of a mini wedding dress from The Last Saga. Also check out mdbc_love1276 and motherdaughterbookclub. I hope you enjoy and don't mind me rambling on. Stay Smart –Marcie**

Emma

We arrive at my house eventually, but it takes a while. Chloe falls down and takes at least five minutes to be calmed down, and it _so_ isn't my fault if we stop whenever we see flowers. Okay, maybe it is, but I adore spring. Spring is magical. When we finally arrive, Megan and Becca are already there, sitting on my porch.

"Hey guys," I call. They look up in surprise .

"Where were you guys?" Becca asks us.

"Picking up Chloe," pipes up Cassidy.

"MEGGY!" shrieks Chloe and runs over to give Megan a hug.

"What are we having for dinner?" asks Cassidy,"I'm starving," Megan pretends to be shocked.

"_You? Starving_? No way." Cassidy grins sheepishly.

"Hello!" calls my mom from inside," are you girls going to come in?" We troop inside.

"Mom, what are we having for dinner?" I ask her.

"Well, we could get a pizza," She begins.

"Pizza," says Chloe.

"Is that okay with the rest of you girls?" She asks. We all nod.

"Pizza?"

Cassidy laughs and picks Chloe up.

"Yeah, monkey face, pizza." Chloe claps and Cassidy sets her down.

"Oh!" I say ,"you guys _need_ to see what I got for my birthday!" I go to my bureau and pull out the box. I open it and wait for their amazed reactions.

"A _book_?" says Becca skeptically.

"Not just any book," I say," It's one of the first fifty copies of Pride and Prejudice ever published!" While Jess and Megan come closer, Becca and Cassidy play duck duck goose with Chloe.

"Wow," says Jess," I wonder who owned it?"

"Maybe a rich Duke. Even a princess!" sighs Megan.

"Girls! Pizza!"

"PIZZA!" Yell Chloe and Cassidy, and we all start laughing. Cassidy eats almost a whole pizza while the rest of us share two. We still have a whole pizza left, until Darcy comes home.

"PIZZA!" He exclaims, and we burst into hysterical laughter. We all troop back upstairs, when the doorbell rings. My mom swings it open to reveal Mrs. Sloane-Kincaid, who wants Chloe back. We went back upstairs and flopped in my room.

"Hey, guys," Becca says," how about we play Truth or Dare?"

"Don't you remember what happened last time?" Jess asks. The last time we tried to play was in the middle of the woods on a backpacking trip.

"What? It was hilarious! I'll even go first!"

"Can I choose?" I ask.

"Sure," says Becca, looking relieved. I bet she was hoping that whoever it was was not Cassidy.

"Go talk to my Mom and tell her you wet your pants," Becca groans, but files out of the room.

"Mrs. H?" we hear Becca call," I wet my pants!" She comes back in. "She said 'okay dear, you may pet our cat'." We all laugh, and Becca picks Megan. "Truth or Dare?"

"Um, truth?"

"How many times have you kissed Simon?" Becca asks, and Megan turns bright red.

"Um, like… five?"

"Okay," Jess says," It's your turn."

"Emma," Megan says," Truth or Dare?"

"Dare." I respond nervously.

"Go steal your brother's Ariel pajamas." They all laugh, and I walk down the hall and knock on Darcy's door.

"Yes?"

"Um, it's Emma."

"Emma?" He opens the door.  
>"What do you need?" He asks.<p>

"Jess needs to talk to you," I blurt out," She's in my room." He walks down the hall, confused, and I quickly open his closet and pull out the pajamas. Silently, I sneak back to my room.

"But I _didn't_ say I wanted to talk," protests Jess. Darcy suddenly sees me.

"Emma?"

"Um, I must have heard her wrong?" I say. He gives me a disbelieving look, but walks back to his room. I pull out the pajamas, and everyone laughs hysterically.

"Who do you pick?" Cassidy asks.

"Um, Becca," I say," Truth or Dare?"

"I'll do another dare," she says.

"Go outside and dance the hula," I say. She walks down the steps, her boots clunking, and, in a minute, appears in front of my window. Cassidy cackles when people in passing cars point and laugh, and we all scream with laughter when Kyle, Darcy's best friend, shows up and gives Becca the "I think you're looney" look. Becca returns with red cheeks, and asks Cassidy.

"Truth," she says.

"Who do you like, Tristan or Zach," asks Becca, and we all go quiet.


	3. Lies are the Same as Truth

**Yes, I know I'm crazy, but I had nothing to do! I know this chapter is a little confusing and short, but I thought it was defiantly necessary. Anyway, thanks to all my fans, especially my "favorite fan". I hope you all enjoy it and Stay Smart! (By the way, I got views from all around the world and I just wanted to say THANK YOU!) -Marcie**

Megan

Cassidy just sits, frozen.

"Um…" She says, "Can the answer be both?"

"No," says Becca.

"I-I'm sorry. I can't say anything," Cassidy rushes out of the room. She runs into the bathroom and locks the door.

"I mean, she's dating Zach…" I say.

"I bet she likes Tristan," says Becca," but she doesn't want to tell Zach,"

"No way," says Jess," Cassidy would never date a guy that she doesn't like." We're all silent.

"Well, they arrive tomorrow," says Jess finally. "I guess we'll find out." We all roll over and fall asleep, but me, and I see when Cassidy emerges from the bathroom and silently lays down.

"Cass," I say

"What?"

"No one cares who you pick." She suddenly sits up and looks into my eyes.

"Megan, what am I supposed to do?" She asks me.

"Just be yourself, and if you need help, come find me." She nods and lays back down. I fall asleep, dreaming happily. Tomorrow I'll see Simon…

**Jess**

I wake up before everyone else and yawn. I grab a pair of jeans and a pretty lavender top out of my duffel bag. Megan and Cassidy thought everyone was asleep last night, but I wasn't. I knew she liked Tristan. I step into the bathroom, and braid my hair in the mirror. Suddenly, someone comes up behind me. Darcy.

"Hey there," He says, grinning.

"Hey," I say, smiling up at him. He really has the nicest eyes…

"Mmhm!" Someone clears their throat, and I see Emma standing there impatiently.

"Sorry," I say, and go back into Emma's room, where everyone is starting to wake up. Cassidy looks, well, horrible.

"Girls!" calls Mrs. Hawthorne. "It's already eleven! We're leaving for the airport in half an hour!" Cassidy looks panicked.

"Come on," says Becca, pulling Cassidy over to her suitcase. Ten minutes later, Cassidy is wearing black leggings and a black turtleneck with silver earrings. Becca is trying to get her to wear pink wedge heels.

"No way!" protests Cassidy.

"You'll look just like Aubrey Hepburn!" Becca succeeds in getting the shoe on her foot. Cassidy groans, and I notice Megan, who's wearing a white silk top, white leggings, Gigi's diamond earrings, and black heels. I stifle a laugh. I know they didn't plan it, but they look like twins. I walk down the stairs to the kitchen, where Mr. Hawthorne hands me a giant stack of pancakes. The blueberries are arranged in a smiley face, and I laugh. Cassidy comes down behind me, and chooses the frown face pancakes that Mr. H. messed up. Uh, oh. When Cassidy gets nervous, anything can happen.

"Hey Cass," I say nervously.

"Yeah?"

"I heard you last night." I brace myself.

"You- you did?" She asks.

"Yeah,"

"What should I do?" She moans.

"Think about who you really like." I suggest, "Forget about who's close and who lives far away." She's silent.

"Okay Girls!" Mrs. Hawthorne calls," Time to leave!" We all pile into the van and drive to Boston.

"Mrs. H.?" asks Megan," Will we have any time to shop?" Mrs. Hawthorne laughs.

"I'm afraid not today," She says. Emma and I play the synonym game and soon the whole carload joins in.

"Cassidy, you are looking very _nervous_," She says. Cassidy glares at her.

"Anxious," says Becca.

"Edgy," suggests Darcy.

"Tense," says Megan.

"Okay, okay, I get it." She snaps, ending the game as we drive into Boston. We pass Fenway Park and she perks up, but her face changes to terrified again as we near the airport. We all pile out of the van and through the doors, where Megan and Kyle both set off the metal detectors. We finally get through the security and we're nearing the gate, talking to each other. Suddenly, Cassidy stops. Straight ahead is the Berkeleys. Tristan.


	4. Flying Away is a Better Option

**Thank you so much everyone! I got views from all over the world! On my Instagram Marciesmitherson I posted pics of a wedding dress and I am about to post pics of the rings. For everyone that asked why my name is Margaret and my nickname is Marcie, I don't really know. Thank you Dess4ever and Rebel Belle for always reviewing. Stay Smart everyone! –Marcie**

Cassidy

Tristan. I haven't seen him for so long.

"Hullo!" Called Mrs. Berkeley as we neared them. Sophie, who we had picked up at Megan's house, quickly ran up and gave her a hug.

"We also came to see the new couple," Mr. Berkeley started to say.

"And you might as well know that I'm investigating a job offer in Boston." Finished Mrs. Berkeley. I sucked in my breath. Boston is so close to Concord…

"Where would you live?" I swear that Mrs. Hawthorne can read thoughts.

"Oh, we might look at some properties while we're here," Mr. Berkeley says. He looks at his wife. "In fact, honey, doesn't your job interview start soon?"

"Yes, at five," She says. I glance at the clock. It says three thirty six.

"Well, then," says Mrs. Hawthorne, "You two can walk around Boston while you wait and we'll take the boys home."

"Oh, I really wouldn't want to inconvenience you…"

"Nonsense!"

"Well, okay." Mrs. Berkeley hand each of the boys two suitcases and leaves with her husband.

"Here, let me take that," Darcy says to Simon.

"Okay…"

"What is _in_ that?" Darcy asks.

"It's our mum's," Tristan says, coming up behind me. My heart just about stops. Darcy grabs one of his suitcases too.

"See, this one's fine," Darcy says.

"That one's mine," says Simon. Tristan turns to me.

"So? How have things been in Concord?"

"Fine," I squeak out. He frowns.

"Hey Cassidy!" Someone calls. Oh brother. Zach Norton walks up.

"Hey Tristan, Simon. Didn't expect to see you guys here,"

"Why are you here?" asks Tristan.

"My mom's flying to Detroit for business," He says," Hey Cass," He puts his arm around my shoulders.

"Hi, Zach," I say, ducking away. "Um, nice seeing you." His smile fades a little.

"Well, nice seeing you too," he says, and walks away. I ball up my hands into fists. I look for Megan, but she's strolling arm in arm with Simon. I look for Jess too, but she's walking with Darcy. Emma and her mother are talking about what else- Jane Austen- so that leaves Becca.

"Hey Becca," I say.

"Hi!" She says," do you need me to do your hair or something?" Her eyes gleam in anticipation.

"Uh, actually I wanted to talk," Her forehead wrinkles.

"About what?"

"Uh, I wanted for you to tell me about Theo," I lie. Becca lights up.

"You wanted to hear about his snakes, didn't you? He named one after me you know,"

So as Becca babbles on about Bec the snake, we walk out of the airport and pile into the van. "So the snake only likes…"

"Hey Becca, can I borrow Cassidy for a little bit?" Tristan asks.

"Oh, sure," She says, turning away.

"Thanks," I whisper.

"No problem. How did your team do in the championship?" I grin.

"We won. How was your competition?" I ask.

"We got first place, but you're a much better partner then Annabelle," He whispers back.

"You didn't wear any shiny spandex, did you?" I ask. Megan overhears.

"Sorry, Tristan." She says. Tristan is an ice dancer, and the one day, back when we hated each other, he was wearing a shiny blue spandex suit, and Megan snapped a picture to put on her fashion blog. He grins at her.

"That's okay," Megan smiles and returns to looking at her phone with Simon.

"Hey, what are you looking at?" I ask. Megan, smiles and tilts the screen so we can see it. On the screen is a picture of her and Simon, smiling on top of the Eiffel tower.

"Awwww," Darcy teases from in front of us.

"Hey Ariel," I ask," lose your pajamas?" We all laugh.

"Why did you think I was going into your room?" says Emma.

"What? You little sneak!"

"Darcy! Turn around and stop bothering your sister!" says Mrs. Hawthorne and we laugh again. The van is supposed to fit two in the front, three in the middle, and three in the back, at most. Instead we have two in the front, four in the middle, and four in the back. I shift, nudging Megan, who drops her phone. I pick it up for her.

"I miss you so much and can't wait to see you," I read. Megan tries to grab it from me. "XOXO Simon." Simon turns beet red, and Tristan takes it from me.

"Oh, wait, here's another one. 'I've thought of only you since Paris,' and Megan replied 'So romantic!' Both of them signed XOXO." Megan grabs here phone back and everyone laughs again. Megan and Simon both look extremely embarrassed. Soon we arrive at the Hawthornes and we all pile out. Mrs. Hawthorne suggests we all get "reacquainted."

"So," teases Darcy," are you two going to tell us about Paris?"

"Nope," says Simon. "Only if you tell me about certain trips to the library to see a certain someone."

"What?" Sputters Darcy. Simon grins.

"Your mom told me," He says.

"MOM!" Yells Darcy. Seconds later, we hear a door close. For dinner, we order a pizza again. This time we order extra, since Darcy and I eat a whole pizza between the two of us.

"Have you guys ever played truth or dare?" Becca asks.

"Becca! Do you ever think of anything else?" Megan asks her.

"Nope," She says. She proceeds to explain the game to the boys, who all say they want to play. Before we start (Mrs. Hawthorne says we have to listen to our guests), Emma returns Darcy's pajamas.

"I'll start," says Becca. "Let's do this in pairs. Simon, Megan. What did happen in Paris?"

"Simon showed me all around the city?" says Megan lamely.

"And then we kissed on top of the Eiffel tower." Simon adds.

"Awwww," says Emma. Megan turns red.

"Darcy, Jess." She says mischievously.

"Dare." They say immediately.

"I dare you to tell us what did happen at the library."

"This is a stupid game." Says Jess.

"I've caught them kissing in the staciks before," I say.

"Cassidy!" says Jess. I shrug.

"It's your turn now." Darcy says.

"Dare."

"I dare you to…" Suddenly someone knocks on the door. Emma opens it, and we hear her talking to someone. She comes back in and slips me a little box. I quickly peek inside, and see a necklace with little hockey sticks and pucks. It's from Zach. I had almost forgot about him. Suddenly, the door bursts open.

"I got the job!" Yells Mrs. Berkeley.

"And we found a house!" Mr. Berkeley says," On East Lemon Street!"

"124?" I ask stupidly.

"Yes!"

124 has been deserted for a long time. It's a gorgeous house, though, my mom says, that just need a bit of work.

It's also two houses away from mine.


	5. I Don't have a Blank Space

**SNOW DELAY! I live in Pennsylvania, so we got delayed. Yippee! Any other PA people out there? A school district near us got the whole day. Lucky. Oh, well. As some of you guys noticed, the name Do or Die refers to the game Truth or Dare. I know my note isn't as good as usual, but it's 8:45 in the morning. Don't fret, I'll edit my writing tonight. Midge, don't worry, I agree. Thank you story followers and all fans! Stay Smart! ****J****-Marcie **

Megan

Cassidy looks like she thought Mrs. Berkeley has sprouted an extra head, but Mrs. Sloane is delighted.

"We'll be neighbors!" She exclaims joyfully. Cassidy and Tristan lock eyes. I see her slip the little package under the Hawthorne's couch. I wonder what's in it.

"Oh, that'll be delightful!" says Mrs. Berkeley, "We could ever watch Chloe for you sometime, Clementine."

"You could join book club!" Mrs. Sloane-Kincaid is becoming more and more excited.

"Um, I assume you only mean her?" says Simon. Mrs. Sloane-Kincaid laughs.

"Yes, of course," She says.

"How can I be in the Mother Daughter Book Club with no daughters?" Asks Mrs. Berkeley.

"Eva didn't have any either," points out Mrs. Chadwick, who, by the way, has gotten much nicer. No more snapping turtle, as my dad would say.

"How is Eva?" asks Tristan. Cassidy burrows her head down into a cushion, her shoulders shaking. "Cassidy?" He says in alarm," What's wrong?"

"Eva passed away a little ways back," says Mrs. Hawthorne gently. Tristan is speechless.

"Not Eva!" says Mrs. Berkeley. Emma also begins to sob softly.

"Cassidy, don't you have hockey in an hour?" her mom inquires. She raises her head.

"Yeah, but I was going to leave a little early," She says. Tristan perks.

"Can I come too? I packed my skates."

"Sure," replies Mrs. Sloane Kincaid.

"He absolutely insisted on bringing them," His mother says. Tristan blushes.

"Emma, do you want to come too?" Mrs. Sloane-Kincaid inquires. She shrugs.

"Sure, I'd love to,"

"Okay, you three go get in the car then," She says. "Chloe?"

"Let me try," says Cassidy," CHLOE!"

"Dee Dee," says Chloe, bounding down the stairs.

Hey monkey face," Cassidy picks up Chloe and carries her to the car.

"Mrs. Sloane?" I ask," Could I come?" My mother looks delighted.

"Why, sure!" She replies. We all pile into the car.

"Thanks," whispers Emma.

"No problem," I whisper back. "So," I say loudly to Tristan," Have you been back to Chawton?" He and Cassidy exchange a glance. They think that they've been so secretive. We all saw them in the garden and I saw them kiss when they thought no one was looking. Cassidy always teases us about anything romantic. Ha! As she would say, score 1: Megan. We arrive at the rink, and we all pile out of the car.

"So, Emma," I say to her," what was that urgent thing you had to talk to me about?" She looks embarrassed.

"Well, the main reason I said that is because I wanted company," She admits," But also Stewart said he wanted to talk about something important. What does that mean?"

"It could mean he's breaking up with you," I say, to Emma's dismay, "Or he could be asking you to prom." She makes a face.

"I hope it's the second one." I squeeze her hand.

"I do too. Come on!" We put on our skates and circle around the rink. I'm a little bit better then Emma, because my mom had me take lessons to be a famous ice skater. I quit, but now I understand what Cassidy means when she says something's in your blood. Yes, it's the perfect ending to the perfect day. Up ahead, Cassidy and Tristan are doing the ice waltz. Suddenly, I see Zach Norton come through the door. Oh no, I think. He hesitates when he sees Cassidy with Tristan. Suddenly they're leaning towards each other…


	6. I Have a New Blank Space

Cassidy

Nice to see you, how was England?  
>I could show you incredible things<br>Hockey, madness, heaven, sin  
>Saw you there and I thought<br>Oh my gosh, look at that face  
>You look like my big mistake<br>Love's a (hockey) game, want to play?  
>New skates, let's fly<br>I can read you like a sports magazine  
>Ain't it funny, rumors, don't lie<br>And I know you heard about me and him  
>So hey, let's be friends<br>I'm waiting to see how this one ends  
>Grab your ice skates and my hand<br>I can make the bad guys good for a weekend

So it's gonna be forever  
>Or it's gonna go down in flames<br>You can tell me when it's over  
>If the lies were worth the pain<br>Got a really mad ex-boyfriend  
>He'll tell you I'm insane<br>'Cause you know I love the players  
>And you love the game<p>

'Cause we're young and we're reckless  
>We'll take this way too far<br>It'll leave you breathless  
>Or with a nasty scar<br>Got a really mad ex-boyfriend  
>He'll tell you I'm insane<br>But I guess I've got a blank space  
>And I wrote your name<p>

I'm listening to Blank Space, feeling really guilty and changing the words mentally. Why did I have to do that to Zach? I really didn't try to. I didn't want to hurt him, but now I have more than I ever could have by telling him. When I was dancing out there again with Tristan, it was just like the last time we saw each other at that same rink…

I sound like one of those girls who have all those relationship problems. I guess right now I am one. What am I supposed to do?

"Cassidy!" My mother calls up to me," come down right now!" Uh-oh. I swing open my door and walk downstairs, flinching.

"You left your sweaty hockey clothes on the chair!" She scolds.

"Uh, sorry Mom," I say, relieved.

"Oh, by the way, I heard something about you breaking up with Zach," She says. Uh oh. "Mind telling me about it?"

"What did you hear?" I ask her.

"Apparently, Zach is devastated because he caught his girlfriend kissing someone else at the ice rink. Now, honey, I don't care who you date, but please Cassidy! Can't you make it a little more…?"

"Nice?" I say weakly.

"That's right. What I mean, honey, is that some of these people are my friends, and I don't know what Mrs. Norton is going to think of me after this episode," She says. I hunch my shoulders.

"I'm, I'm really sorry Mom," She hugs me.

"It's all right, baby," She says. On any other day I would be disgusted by this babying, but today, when I just want to cry- which is so un-Cassidy of me- I don't care. I start to trudge upstairs, but I realize right now the score is zero for everyone, including me. And if that can ruin a perfectly good hockey game, it'll do the exact same to my life. I grab my phone.

Ten minutes later, I'm sitting on a bench at the rink, surrounded by the smell of french fries. I stare down at my lap, then look up when I hear footsteps. It's Zach.

"Hey," I say.

"Hey," he looks upset. "Why did you need me to meet you here?"

"Zach, I'm so sorry," I say," I never meant for any of this to happen." He manages a smile.

"Cassidy, I know you didn't try this. You might be pretty fickle, but you wouldn't just try to hurt someone." He says. I frown.

"Fickle?" He laughs.

"English Class. So, friends?" I stand up and hug him.

"Friends." I say.

He leaves and I wave- I admit, I'll miss him. I walk outside, and Tristan pulls up on his bike to take me to the movies. He puts his arms around my waist and we lean in… I think that I'll deal.

**Afterword**

Emma

So yeah, Cass and Tristan ended up together. They qualified for the junior Olympics, and they're going together in the spring- for ice dancing, that is. Apparently Cassidy is just as good at ice dancing as hockey. We're sitting in my living room, eating chips and playing Monopoly. Outside, a clap of thunder booms and Cassidy jumps, scattering Darcy's "nifty" iron, Simon's dog, Stewart's hat, and Jess's wheelbarrow. They all groan and pick up their pieces.

"Hey Cass," teases Megan," What are you going to do tonight when Tristan moves into his own house?"

Everyone but Cassidy laughs. Apparently she's terrified of thunderstorms and she refuses to go to sleep unless someone hold her hand. Like all night. Another clap rumbles and Megan shrieks, moving closer to Simon, and we all laugh hysterically. I'm glad I'm not scared of thunderstorms, because looking at Stewart's facial expression whenever we hear thunder, he wouldn't be much help, even though he's winning again. I roll the dice. Four. I land on Park Place, and everyone groans- I'm famous for building hotels. Stewart picks up the dice, and rolls.

Soon (after I win) all the mothers arrive to take everyone home, I hand Cassidy a note. Darcy, Jess -who's spending the night-, and I stand on the porch and wave. We sit on the porch for almost fifteen minutes, until we are sure that everyone's home, and then we sit down and talk some more. Suddenly, hail starts falling from the sky, lots of it. Darcy grabs Jess's hand and pulls her inside when a chunk of hail falls near us. Instead, it hits me. Great big brother, right? After getting an ice pack on my forehead, I go up to Darcy's room to retrieve Jess. First, we go downstairs to call all our friends. Megan and Becca are fine. Cassidy isn't home. We call the Bekeleys, who are fine, and talk to Cassidy, who got bonked in the head with a giant piece. Laughing, I tell her about my own forehead.

"Cassidy?" I ask, Why are you afraid of storms?"

"My dad died during one," She says," but, hey, thanks for the note."

After hanging up, we thunder up the stairs to my room. We lounge on my duvet.

"Truth or Dare?" I joke. Jess laughs.

"Well, I'd like to ask you a Truth- what was in the note that you gave her?" She asks. I dig through the papers on my desk and hand Jess the other copy.

"I thought it would be perfect," I say.

When shall the sun shine through the glade,

When shall the light slowly fade,

What is love?

It might be sometimes,

It might be never,

It might be always,

It might be often,

It might be once,

It might be twice,

It might be someday,

IT MIGHT BE FOREVER


End file.
